Improvement in gas-purifiers



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES It. SMEDBERG, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN GAS-PURIFIERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. [53,386, dated July 21, 1874; application filed June 9, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, JAMES R. SMEDBERG, of San Francisco city and county, State of California, have invented Gas-Purifiers; and I do hereby declare the following description and accompanying drawings are sufficient. to enable any person skilled in the art or science to which it most nearly appertains to make and use my said invention without further invention or experiment.

My invention consists in certain novel apparatus based upon the vesicular theory of vapors first propounded by Halley, and imperf'ectly applied by others to the purging of crude coal-gas from its tarry and aqueous vapors. This application aims at the fracture of the liquid shells of the vaporous atoms by projecting them in minute jets forcibly against opposed plates, and the mechanical condenser of Pelouze and Audouin even possesses the saine vital feature as my own of a drum free to play vertically in a water-lute, and characterized by two or more parallel inclosin g-plates, suitably perforated and suitably spaced apart.

This Pelouze and Audouin condenser has no further similarity to the present invention than that it recognizes the vesicular theory, and that it comprises a floating drum, constructed as just generally described.

My own instrument, unlike anyprevious one, receives the gas below the drum; emits it after passage through its sides only, which are so arranged as to secure an important increase of' work with the same actuating pressure; works in uniform and automatic compliance with the volumes of vapor to be treated, however great may be the fluctuation of those volumes from zero upward; automatically removes the only element which can accidentally constitute a practical obstruction to the flow of vapor through it; and in its most disabled state is a very useful instrument. The whole instrument, in its three novel f'eatures of' reversed flow, safety apparatus, and pressure-gage, is logically constructed upon the principle of differential pressure. It is f're'e to rotate through an arc of one hundred and eighty degrees, upon a stationary chambered box, .the hoX and the condenser having such relations of structure as to pass the gas through or past the condenser, as may be desired by the man in charge. As the result of this last device, all connecting-pipes are dispensed with, and the outer case is restricted to a vertical cylinder of' a diameter but slightly more than double that of the conductingpipes themselves.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan view of the valve-box. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of' the complete machine. Fig. 3 is an enlarged View of a section of the drum. Fig. 4 is, a bottom view of the .lower part of the condenser which sits upon the valve-box. Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of' the differential gage.

A A represent, in plan, the line of pipe which conducts the vapor to be treated, A being that portion which precedes, and A that which follows, the condenser. These portions of piping' connect, respectively, with the two adjacents quadrants c and al of a stationary cylindrical valve-box, B, the division of the quadrants from each other, and from the idle selnicircle a2, being effected by two vertical diaphragms, b b', which run in the direction, respectively, of' a diameter, and of a radius at right angles to that diameter. Thus, any flow of' gas or vapor from A to A can only occur in an upward direction throught-he quadrant c, thence through some superposed passageway to the quadrant al, and downward through this last to the pipe A of exit. The upper faces of b and b and of a circular recessed seat or flange, c, are faced and scraped or ground absolutely true and smooth. The idle semi-cylindrical chamber c2 is open at top, but with no connection between itself and the other chambers or their ports. The valve-box is closed atbottom, unless it be desi-red to connect the quadrants with vertical inlet or outlet fiows, in which case the ports of entry and exit open through the bottom; or the condensed liquids may be suffered to flow off to suitable receivers through appropriate openings through the bottom.

Fig. 2 shows an outer case, D, with an in- I terior concentric Water-lute, E. This waterlute or cap is at first filled with water, which is soon displaced by the characterizingliquids of the vapor as condensation proceeds. These j sage for the vapor upward oil' freely, as fast as formed,

liquids flow c', through the through a suitable aperture, side of the case.

' The case D is in the form of a vertical cylinder, closed at top, but with an open bottom terminating in faced surfaces,\vl1ich correspond and forma gas-tight joint with those of the valve-box B. The bottom part ot' D is divided by a horizontal diaphragm, and thetwo vertical diaphragms into one semi-cylindrical chamber, F, one quadrantshaped outlet-chamber, G, and one quadrant-shaped inletduct, H, the .l horizontal diaphragm being cut away over this last quadrant to allow the j flow of `vapor upward through the apparatus, while the outlet-chamber Gris connected by an exteriorA duct, I, with the extreme upper portion'of the case D. Thus, when in working position, H coincides with a., and Gwith al, aii'ordinga pasthrough A a H, theudownward through I G a1 to the pipe of .exit A', the semi-cylindrical by-pass chamber F meanwhile corresponding with the idle semicircled2 ofthe valvefbox B. v A When Vit is 4desired to throw the condenser out of action, a half-revolutionis given to the cylindricalcase, when the gas will pass from a to al through the by-pass chamberLF, and

'the chamber will be closed ofi' by coincidence ofthe ports H and Gru-with the idle semicircle a2 of the valve-box B.

Having thus described the construction of ,the rotating condenser, valve-box, and the direction of the gas-flow under the two conditions of workand inaction, I proceed to consider the condensingappliance itself. i

Free to work vertically inthe cup E is an inverted drum, J, with open bottom and a vapor-tight top of unperforated plate-iron. The sides of the drum J (which, if working inthe annular cup of a cylindrical case, is of course cylindrical, but is square where a rectangular case is employed) are formed of two or more parallel or concentric plates, O O, with frequent perforations. (I employ four plates, as found in practice to secure at once great power and great ease of flow.) These last are so laid oli1 that the holes in any one sheet shall be horizontally opposite to the blank spaces of the next plate or plates. These plates are spaced apart by interposed strips or washers, and the intervening spaces are of such minimum width as shall give ample low downward into the cup of the liquids which had previously served to envelop the vesicles. The outer plate has perforations greater in aggregate area than those of any interior one, thus avoiding the back pressure due to the mere nal escape of the vapor. The velocity of the jets thus caused to impinge upon the condensing-plates 0 O is of course due to the effective weight of the drum, the downward pressure of which is adjusted by means ot' a counter-balance, K, exterior to the case itself, and e is constant, whether a large new has given great lift to the drum, or whether the drum, in automatic reemptying of the cup,

ply to a very small volume, has settled in its cup until nearly all the perforations `are submerged, and so idle.

L Thus I have a vesicle saturated with vapor constantly playing through the plates, surrendering the liquids ofthe envelopes reason `of a shattering impact upon the w blanks and an enforced contact between the naturally repellent vesicles themselves, and passing orf absolutely dry to the outlet I.

By this construction of the condenser, so as to pass the vapor through it from below, it will'be seen that any increase of' pressure and volume of vapor will be attended by a corresponding riseof the drum, and a consequent disclosure of more openings, and vice versa, thus making this part of themachine automatically adjustable to its worklfj lThiscompletes the description of the condenser itself; but so intimately connected with its functions as to be indispensable'to their proper discharge are two attachments,

constructed also in observance of the valuai ,ble principle of differential pressure. The iirst of these, which I propose to denominate cup-discharge,7 has as its object the instant and the consequent disclosure of all the perforations, in case of accident to 'the Acounter-balance, or its means of connection with the floating drum.

e Fig. 2, L is an air-tight case, partially `lled with water, which forms a lute or seal for the 4free interior drum 'or pressurefholder M. n is a transfer-tube, open at both ends, communieating the outlet-pressure existing in the upper part of the condenser-case D to the `upper portion of L, exterior to M, and above the surface of the sealing liquid. Passing through the bottom of the case L to above the surface of the sealing liquid, and interior to M, is another transfer-tube,p, open at both ends, which serves to communicate the inlet-pressure exist` ing below the condensing-drum .I to the inte rior of the pressure-holder M.

I thus obtain the diierential pressure of the condensing-drum F constantly equilibrated upon the pressure-holder M. This pressureholder has secured to its crown a central spin4 dle, q, or rod, which is free to travel through two central stufIing-boxes or equivalent waterlutes in the cover and bottom, respectively, of the case L, and is connected to an exterior adjustable counter-balance, S. Secured to the outside of the condenser-case D is a valve-box, T, of which the inlet-chamber t is in communication with the cup E, while its outlet-chamber u discharges into the lower or inlet por tion of D, or connects with the overow-pipe which leads from D to the tar-wells. These chambers t a are connected by a valve-port,

V, provided with a disk-valve, V', opening upward. This disk-valve is secured to the central spindle q of the pressure-holder M, so i that the motion or rest of V' corresponds with those of M.

Now, it will be secu that the dowmvard touched, any accident which disturbs the statical equilibrium of the condensingdrum in such way as'to accumulate pressure below it must immediately force up the pressure-holder, open the valve, and, by discharging the cup, render all the perforations available for vapor ilo w. lt is equally evident that the adjustable counter-balance affords means by which the lift of the valve may be made to respond to any desired degree of accumulated pressure,y

and thus defeat any possibility of obstructed i'low. As the lift ofthe valve rapidly removes the hydrostatic pressure upon its back, it cannot close of itself, and thus interrupt the emptying ot' the cup.

The last feature ot' my invention is the differential gage. This gage is constructed with two glass vertical tubes, NV W', which may be secured and supported in the metallic heads or boxes X. At the bottom .these tubes are connected by la tube or passage, t', which is relatively very much narrower than the tubes themselves, for the purpose of preventing oscillation within them. e is the inlet, and j' is the outlet, cock, one connecting with the space above, and the other with the space below, the condenser, While g and h are two cocks which open to the atmosphere.

In order to ascertain the inlet-pressure, it will be readily seen that the two cocks e and h should be opened, while to obtain the outletpressure the cocks g and j' should be opened. The differential pressure or back pressure of the condenser is indicated by opening `the cocks e and f.

This invention contemplates the treatment of any vapors, whether metallic or otherwise.

Having thus vdescribed my invention. what Iclaimfandjdesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-Y l. The device or valve consisting of the compartments a al a2, together with the superposed or otherwise suitably-placed rotatory chamber, having the compartments F G H so arranged as to either connect the pipe A with the condenser, or, by a half-revolution, to connect it directly with the pipe A', substantially as herein described. 2. The condenser consisting of the closed top J, with sides composed o f plates O O, perforated as shown, the perforations in the outermost plate having larger aggregate apertures than the interior ones moving in the liquid in the chamber E, and having the inletpassage below the drum, so that the flow of vapor is from within outward, thus securing automatically a direct proportion betweenthe volume of inlet low and the number of apertures disclosed in the herein described.

3. The cup-discharge consisting of the case L, floating drum M, with the differential pressure-tubes n p, connecting, respectively, with the spaces above and below the condenser, in combination with the valve V' and thecounterbalance S, substantially as herein described.

4. The differential gage, consisting of the pipes W W', or equivalent pressureh0lder, with the cocks e f y h,'as shown, the pipes being connected by the reduced tube or passage z' to prevent oscillation, substantially as herein described.

In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand and seal.

JAMES R. SMEDBERG. [L. s.] Witnesses:

JNo. L. BOONE, (l. M. RICHARDSON.

plates, substantially as y 

